Guy Ritchie has cancelled Madonna’s order for tens of thousands of pounds worth of special Kabbalah water to fill their swimming pool. It’s always uncomfortable when we have to humour someone close to us in the name of avoiding conflict. Right now in Thames Valley University, for example, entire science departments must be feeling slightly embarrassed about their degrees in quackery. Because despite the refusal of all universities to openly disclose what they teach on these – uniquely their ideas must be shielded from critical appraisal – the leaks keep coming, and Professor David Colquhoun of UCL continues to archive the comedy on his website.

Okay now look. I realise that political correctness has made it difficult to talk around some issues involving race, biology, and culture. I realise that some subjects have been effectively closed to discussion, under fear of accusations of racism. I don’t want to throw these accusations around wildly.

But can somebody please tell me what possible good there is to be found in this paper from the journal Medical Hypotheses, founded by controversialist DavidHorrobin: